The Concert Hall Cats

Horatio the Cat lives with his wife, Sofia, and their kittens, Eddie and Mary, in the attic of a majestic old concert hall. Jimmy the Janitor lives in the basement, and he spends his days taking care of the concert hall. Every morning Jimmy brings the little family a big bowl of milk and special treats to eat. As he works keeping the concert hall clean and tidy, Jimmy loves listening to the kittens playing among the old musical instruments in the attic. Now that huge movie theaters and shopping malls have been built across town, only a few people come to hear the orchestra's Friday evening performances. So the grumpy landlords have decided to tear down the concert hall and replace it with a parking lot. However, they may change their minds if all the seats are filled with people for the last performance. Horatio and his family take up the challenge, and the courageous kittens come up with a last minute plan to save the concert hall and Jimmy's home. Will their efforts be rewarded? Turn the pages and find out.

Fausta and Michael McDermott are attorneys who practice in Westchester County, New York. They wrote the initial version of The Concert Hall Cats in 1991, before the birth of their four sons, Joseph, William and twins, John and Philip. During high school, Joseph demonstrated artistic gifts, which have been developed and honed through the patient instruction of artist, Alan Reingold. Joseph wanted to help his parents realize their dream of sharing The Concert Hall Cats with many children, so illustrated this story of love, hope, and survival. Joseph graduated with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies from Manhattan College (B.A., Class of 2015). After graduation, Joseph accepted a position with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Situated in Riverdale, New York, Manhattan College is also the alma mater of Michael (B.A., Class of 1981) and Fausta (B.A., Class of 1982). The models for Joseph's illustrations incorporate five generations of family members including his brothers.